The Seattle Grace Shuffle
by Foibles and Fables
Summary: A response to the ten-drabble shuffle challenge. Chapter 2: the good and bad times for Mark/Lexie, Meredith/Derek, Addison/Derek, Owen/Cristina, Callie/Arizona, Alex, and the Fab Five.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Grey's Anatomy is the property of Shonda Rhimes and ABC. This writing is for entertainment purposes and is not for profit.**

**Challenge:  
1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.  
2. Turn your music player on and turn it on random/shuffle.  
3. Write a drabblet/ficlet related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!  
4. Do ten of these, then post them.**

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**1. "Hypnotize" – The Notorious B.I.G. (Meredith/Derek)**

It wasn't that Addison was boring. On the contrary, she really knew how to have a good time. She had a sharp sense of humor and could drink with the best of them.

What annoyed Derek, though, was that she was just so _proper_ about it all the damn time. It might have been something about her upbringing, but Addison rarely just let go and acted completely silly. There was always a limit to her goofiness, a ceiling over how good of a time she could have.

At first, Derek didn't mind. But, as time went on and their marriage began to turn sour, the good times and humor between them was all that was left. With more time, they also became stale.

Meredith's dancing toward him, her slender body swaying to the lazy beat of the song. She takes a swig of tequila straight from the bottle and giggles, pushing him down onto the couch. As she straddles him, laughing, undulating against his lap, Derek realizes just how much he was missing.

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**2. "Topless" – Breaking Benjamin (Cristina/Owen)**

The kiss is anything but gentle. He pushes her against the wall a little too roughly, her body making a dull thud as it bangs against the plaster of the on-call room. She doesn't particularly mind, though; she's too wrapped up in this moment of intensity and desperation.

His fingers entwine in her dark curls and her smaller hands reach up to cup his cheeks. Her palms are scratched by the fiery red scruffiness of his face. Not wasting another second, they dive into each other, throwing restraint and self-control away.

The sex is wonderful. Hard, fast, almost furious. _Amazing_. At the height of it, there's this moment of…gratitude, almost. A sort of thanks for an escape.

But he only holds her for a second after. She watches as he stands, dresses, and exits the room with nothing more than a lingering look at her. He's Owen again: the cool, calm Head of Trauma.

When _she_ leaves the room and returns to the real world, will she be Cristina again?

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**3. "Tribute" – Tenacious D (Alex/Izzie)**

"What's that?" Izzie asked, pointing at the guitar in the corner of the bedroom. Alex snorted. His reply was playfully sarcastic as usual.

"It's a trumpet. What do you think it is?"

"Do you play it?" Her blue eyes lit up, excited and intrigued. Alex didn't offer an answer; he just shrugged and nodded. Izzie was perplexed. "Why have we never heard you play anything?"

"I don't know," Alex replied. "I just haven't played in a long time. I used to love to play it…I guess real life got in the way."

"Will you play something for me?" Izzie asked, pouting cutely. "Please?"

"What's in it for me?" Alex asked, feigning disinterest.

"A freshly baked very yummy cupcake," Izzie offered, "and, of course, some sex. Guitarists turn me on like nobody's business." Alex smirked and picked up the guitar. He sat back down on the bed, strumming the strings once. For not having been played in a long time, Izzie thought it sounded suspiciously in-tune.

"Okay, Iz." His smile was a rare treat, one of his that didn't come out often. It was truly full of life and happiness. "How about I play you the best song in the world?"

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**4. "She Blinded Me With Science" – Thomas Dolby (Mark/Lexie)**

"Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium…"

The sounds of the bar melt away, becoming white noise behind her crystal voice.

"Beryllium, Boron, Carbon…"

He's reaching for her, pulling her close, and kissing her. Her breath hitches as their lips touch, but she continues.

"Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine…"

She kisses back, then, boldly and without hesitation. She closes the gap between them, pressing her hips against his. She places his hands on her waist and whispers, lips grazing his ear:

"Neon, Sodium, Magnesium, Aluminum…"

She loops her arms around his neck, arching into him as his hands explore her body over her clothes. She exhales against his neck:

"Aluminum, Silicon, Phosphorus, Sulfur…I can keep going."

Mark's about to respond with a "please do" when he becomes painfully aware that none of that just happened. He's still on his barstool and she's still on hers, surrounded by friends and colleagues. She's smiling innocently at him, sheepish and stunning.

As for him, he's grinning uncontrollably.

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**5. "All Apologies" – Nirvana (Mark and Derek)**

"Do you remember Flibbit?"

"Of course!" Derek replied, smiling fondly at the childhood memories. "I loved that frog." Mark grimaced.

"…remember the time I put him in the microwave?"

Derek's face fell. "Yes, all too well."

"You were being a royal little jackass that day. Besides, I never pressed start."

"Still."

"Either way, I don't think I ever actually apologized. So, I'm sorry."

Derek chuckled. "Thanks. I'm pretty sure I'm over it now, though." A pause. "What's with the sudden guilt over Flibbit, Mark?"

Mark hesitated. "I just wanted to apologize for anything I haven't apologized for. Just in case you have any other reason to be angry with me in the near future."

"Like?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just a precautionary measure."

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**6. "Higher Ground" – Red Hot Chili Peppers (Mark, Mark/Lexie)**

In medical school, Mark Sloan had a quasi-relationship with a girl who was obsessed with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It almost crossed the line into an unhealthy territory. She could name each member of the band (Mark could only ever remember Flea) along with their hometown and birthday. Concert posters littered her walls. Every time, _every_ time they had sex, she would play one of their songs. Three times out of five, it was "Give It Away."

Their stint together ended pretty quickly. She cheated on him with a guy she later said looked "just like a younger, red-headed Anthony Kiedis." Whatever the fuck that meant. Needless to say, Mark was sour on the Peppers for quite a while.

And then came the day that Mark walked into his hotel room to see Lexie, clad in sweatpants and a bra, dancing freely to the Stevie Wonder cover. He couldn't help but laugh.

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**7. "Havin' A Hunch" – Seussical Soundrack (George)**

Neuro isn't George's strong suit, and he definitely doesn't know a lot about Psych. But, he _does_ know his friends' personalities like the back of his hand. He prides himself on his observant nature; it's done him well so far.

Which is why he's pretty sure something is wrong with Izzie. She hasn't been herself lately. She's been distant and, on occasion, he's seen her talking to herself. Not to mention the reports of her having extremely _loud_ sex when Alex (or anyone, for that matter) is nowhere near. Nobody else has seemed to notice. If Alex knows anything, he's either ignoring it or brushing it off as nothing.

But George can see the writing on the wall, and he's amazed that the others can't. After all, the words are written in huge red bold underlined italics. The message confirms his suspicions:

Something is very, very wrong with Izzie.

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**8. "Learn To Fly" – Foo Fighters (Callie)**

Callie thought a lot about Mark's advice. She mulled over every nuance of the two simple words: _walk tall_. After careful consideration, she's decided it's something she really does need.

She's gone down a slippery slope. George, don't even go there. Erica was a mess. Sleeping with Mark while attempting to sleep with Erica just made things worse. After those disasters, she's ended up alone. But, she can only fall so far down the mountainside until she reaches the bottom. And after she hits the bottom, where can she go?

She's going to claw her way back up to the mountaintop. She's going to grapple with the rough terrain like the trooper she is. Sometimes, struggling up the slope will require her to take a chance on a precariously loose rock. She's going to try to not be afraid to take a fall. If she does, she'll discover that the fall is, in some morbid way, a part of the fun. It'll give her another chance to climb back up again.

Walk tall? No offense to Mark, but screw that. Callie's going to fly.

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**9. "Main Title – Trinity Infinity" – The Matrix: Original Soundtrack (Owen)**

Seattle Grace Hospital was an enigma to Owen Hunt. Where he had been, he had seen many things: purely heroic things, horrible, devastating things, and simply amazing things. But, from the moment he arrived at Seattle Grace, he saw things that simply left him dumbstruck.

Medically, things were new to him; he expected that much. People don't get treated in a state-of-the-art urban hospital the same way as they would in Iraq. But, professionally, Owen was baffled. Sex in on-call rooms? People letting their emotions cloud their judgment on a medical case? Kissing a woman he barely knows in an exam room after pulling an icicle out of her? All of it was completely foreign to him.

Owen knew he was still in the real world.

Then why did it feel like he'd just taken the Red Pill?

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**10. "Big Me (Live)" – Foo Fighters (Mark/Lexie)**

Mark traces a line down her bare back with his fingertips, sailing smoothly over her soft skin. She shivers. He smirks. She sits up in the bed, pulling the covers to her chest.

"You know, I've been thinking," Lexie says tentatively, biting her lower lip. "I wasn't concerned about this before, but now I kinda am. This isn't going to be a secret forever. Someone is going to discover us eventually."

Mark nods in silence. There's no denying the inevitable. He knew it was coming since his narrow escape at Meredith's not long ago. It had spooked both of them.

"When they do...discover us, I mean," she continues, "it might not be good. Definitely won't be good. And I understand if you want to break this off now. I don't want to." She blushes. "But if it's between me and your career and friendships, I know I wouldn't choose me."

He wants to say, "You're worth it." He wants to tell her that she matters more to him than she thinks. But Mark Sloan doesn't say those things. So he kisses her instead, hoping that she'll get the message.

And she does. Oh, she does.


	2. How Everything Has Changed

**Here's another go with the shuffle challenge. This time, to spice things up a bit, I gave myself a theme: the juxtaposition of good and bad. **

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_The good times_

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**1. "A Method" – TV On the Radio (Mark/Lexie)**

He holds her firmly against the bed, palms pressed to her hip bones. His lips start at hers, indulging in a lingering kiss before heading southward. They slowly skim down her throat and over her heaving chest, between her bra-clad breasts.

His scruff scratches at her stomach, tearing a peal of giggles from her mouth. He kisses at her navel, and she arches into him, curving perfectly into his body. His tongue trails just below, stalling for a moment before he reaches his destination just a tiny bit lower. She gasps and shudders, every muscle tensing at the sensation. Satisfied, smirking, he continues his ministrations.

It's not just hype. It's lips and fingers and tongue working together in a way that's so incredible it should be illegal. It's utterly decadent, sinfully sweet, like a deal with the devil.

It's the Sloan Method, and Lexie can't figure out how she once lived without it.

**2. "Swing Ya Rag" – T.I. feat. Swizz Beatz (Meredith/Derek)**

She's hysterical as she watches the way he moves. Derek's feet shuffle on the floor, clumsy. His arms swing down at his sides, occasionally moving above his head in a quick flapping gesture. It's mortifying, but it's okay because he's trying. This terrible dancing is an attempt to lighten the mood, to make her feel better. Acknowledging this, she begins to dance as well. He howls and shakes his butt at her.

When the alcohol comes out, so does her cell phone. She records him, laughing very hard, capturing every jerky movement and awkward facial expression forever. She would have sent the embarrassing video to Cristina if they weren't fighting and to Izzie if she wasn't acting weird. But, they are, so she sends it to George instead.

His response is prompt and to the point:

_OMFG…Derek Shepherd should never ever dance again._

**3. "To Be With You" – Mr. Big (Mark/Lexie)**

They're sitting on the bed, the picture of utter relaxation. Her legs are draped over his, bent slightly at the knees. He rubs her thigh absentmindedly, an action of routine.

Mark, having already eaten a room-service dinner not long ago, watches as Lexie shovels General Tso's into her mouth straight from the takeout container. She eats sloppily, like she hasn't for days, totally famished from a long shift. He can relate. He's been there before; he's already gone through the overdose of high-sodium Chinese food. She swallows and takes a deep breath before diving in for more. He snickers.

"Oh, do I have something on my face?" she asks, mouth full, eyes widening in pending embarrassment. Her hand brushes her cheeks and lips, searching for the splotch of sauce.

He smiles at her, smiles at the simplicity of it all. And, despite himself, he smiles because she's here in the first place. "No." He shakes his head. "I just don't get it," he says, shrugging.

Another bite. A quirked eyebrow. "Get what?"

"Get what O'Malley didn't see in you."

**4. "Danny's Song" – Anne Murray (Addison/Derek)**

It was a memory Addison held onto for a long time, a reason for her to keep trying. It reminded her that there was a time when they were happy, wrapped up in the joy of being almost finished with medical school and the novelty of living together in a crappy but homey apartment.

She could picture Derek's face plain as day, painfully handsome with a more youthful air, when he came into the kitchen; his blue eyes were wide with uncharacteristic anxiety. He held an envelope in each hand, identical in size and color, one addressed to him and the other to her. Hearts hammering and hands fumbling, they tore into them and compared the letters they contained.

_Dear Mr. Shepherd (Ms. Forbes Montgomery): We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into our surgical residency program…_

They hooted and hollered and danced around the room, laughing with glee. They were in the same program, the one of their choice. Individually, it would have been a happy occasion, but being young and in love and together, it was ecstasy.

Then Derek drew her in and kissed her tenderly before murmuring against her lips, "This is it. This is our chance. You and I, Addie, we're going places."

At that moment, she believed him.

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_The harder times_

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**5. "Damaged" – Danity Kane (Owen/Cristina)**

Owen had issues. Major issues. They were impossible not to ignore. He obviously carried with him heavy loads of pain and awful memories. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but it broke her heart a little bit every time she saw him struggling or panicking.

Still, Cristina had issues too. Not many were quite as intense as his, but that didn't mean they didn't exist. It didn't mean that they shouldn't have been given just as much attention as his. Sometimes she felt robbed, having to deal with all of his baggage without being able to unload any of her own.

One day, while they were waiting for an MRI on an emergent trauma case, she finally let some of that baggage drop. She hoped he could handle it. She avoided his gaze as she said:

"I was left at the altar."

He opened his mouth and then promptly shut it, having no idea what to say to that. But Cristina knew that he had heard her and that was all that mattered.

**6. "Beat Your Heart Out" – The Distillers (Callie/Arizona)**

If someone asked Callie for a definition, she would have categorized it as a classical risky behavior. Nothing about it was less than a risk, especially kissing someone she barely knew in a bar bathroom (never mind that the kiss made her heart beat faster than anything had in a while). She was flying blind, out of control, pulled by gravity to the Heely-wearing butterfly-capped Peds surgeon and she was still getting used to that. The only thing she knew was that she wanted more and more of the mystery that was Arizona, even though her efforts were continuously futile.

Callie's justification for risking her heart again came from one fact, half-baked and quickly thought out. If she really had been destroyed and had nothing left, then there was nothing left to lose.

And she was prepared to fight like hell for that nothing.

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_Everything falls apart_

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**7. "Forever May You Run" – Gavin Rossdale (Meredith/Derek)**

She never liked baseball to begin with and knows she's in for it when she sees the bat in his hands. The insults are bad and hit her like a ton of bricks but she's not crumbling. He's just licking his wounds. She won't let him do this to himself or to her. She brings up the ring, and his eyes become next to wild.

For an instant he's smiling, bitter, not the smile she's used to, but then it's gone. He pulls the ring, delicately beautiful, from his pocket, brandishing it and taunting her with it. Then, in slow-motion, he tosses it up and smacks it with the bat. It sends a jump to Meredith's heart as it connects with the wood, making a sound that she shouldn't hear but does. In midair, the diamond catches a light and sparkles marvelously before falling to the ground, lost.

He casts the bat away, stomping to the trailer door and slamming it as he enters.

She is terrified, yes, but not running away. And that is progress.

**8. "Break Stuff" – Limp Bizkit (Alex)**

When it came to anything about Izzie, Alex would hold all of his anger inside. He would let it simmer, a low boil, until it finally mustered the strength to explode. Once that happened, it was unstoppable.

Luckily, on the day that Izzie told him that she was "seeing" Denny again, his rage comes to a head in the vacant locker room. He put up a front for a while, feigning apathy, but that's gone now.

He hates him. Honest-to-God hates him. He hates Denny for making Izzie fall for him when he was alive, he hates Denny for how he changed Izzie when he died, and he hates Denny for somehow stealing her away from him again even though he was long dead. Denny's managed to take her again, just when things had finally been starting to look good. She's slipping right through his hands, like sand through and cracks between his fingers.

Fury swelling, Alex snarls and punches a locker, _hard_, picturing Denny's face in its place: puppy-dog eyes and scruff and his insufferable, toothy, "aw shucks" grin.

His hand hurts for the rest of the day, and it's both satisfying and empty.

**9. "Passive" – A Perfect Circle (Mark and Lexie)**

Mark cheats. About six months in. And it's not with anybody he really knows, like Callie. If it had been with Callie, he could have chalked it up to being influenced by something that was there all along. But, it was with a nurse, and he didn't even know her name; it was a complete insult to Lexie.

He gets afraid of the commitment. Same old story.

Lexie finds out from George (of all people). It's sickeningly appropriate, one failure revealing the next. When she confronts Mark, there are no tears, no wild accusations, no yelling or screaming. Instead, she stands in the doorway, a safe distance from him. He looks up at her from the bed and something dark clouds her eyes, an expression he's never faced before. They lock with his, pointed, strong, and a chill runs down his spine. She speaks, calmly, once sentence punctuated very clearly:

"You fucking disappoint me."

Somehow, that hurts him more than anything else could.

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_But there's hope_

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**10. "Paper Planes" – M.I.A. (Fab Five)**

This was in the early, warm months of their first year, when they were interns. This was before things got too hard, before their affairs became broken beyond repair.

At night, their hideout was the tunnel. During daytime shifts when it was raining (practically all the time), they found solace in the maternity ward. But, when it was sunny and they had some free time, they ran for their favorite spot: the roof.

There they would lay shoulder-to-shoulder on their backs, not caring that the surface was hard and uncomfortable. They heard it coming before it hit them. It moaned low across the hills, catching on the Sound and turning into a high-pitched wail. They would tense, waiting for the blast.

Then, the wind would explode around them, powerful and cleansing. Alex would whoop loudly as the impact sent their scrubs rippling across their bodies. Izzie, Cristina, and Meredith would sigh deeply as their hair was swept up, dark curls and blondes mingling in midair. The gust would steal a piece of paper from George's hand, and, swearing and flustered, he would frantically chase after it.

The others would laugh, really laugh, and life was good.


End file.
